Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

CREATING IT FUTURES

CREATING IT FUTURES-Satisfying

Satisfying, Well-Paying Tech Jobs Abound

The acute shortage of technology workers in the United States has driven up wages significantly. The median annual salary of an entry-level employee working on a help desk is $53,470, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median salary for all tech workers is $81,000. The expected growth...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

HUNGRY MARKETPLACE

Hungry for something better

This is a company unlike any other in the Washington DMV – and that’s saying a lot. HUNGRY Marketplace has revolutionized the office food market nationally. Founded by visionary entrepreneurs Jeff Grass and Eman and Shy Pahlevani, this Arlington, Virginia-based company is reshaping the landscape of office food solutions with...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Florida State College - FSCJ

Florida State College - FSCJ – The Community’s College

The Community’s College

Formerly known as Florida Junior College, Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) was founded in 1965 to serve the Northeast Florida region as the first integrated public, postsecondary educational institution in Duval and Nassau counties. The College is comprised of four campuses and three centers, providing necessary accessibility for our...

INNOVATE® Seattle

DEFINED.AI

TRANSFORMING AI TRAINING, ONE DATASET AT A TIME

At Defined.ai, our commitment is to enable the builders of AI with ethically sourced data and deliver conversational AI to digitally low-resourced markets. I had the idea of founding the company when I realized how the Conversational AI market was becoming mainstream, and everyone was building multilingual voice search and...

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

ACCLAIM EXPRESS

ACCLAIM EXPRESS- IS A TECH START-UP THAT IS FOCUSING ON REVOLUTIONIZING AND TRANSFORMING THE TECH INDUSTRY WITH ITS VIRTUAL MARKETPLACE - ACCLAIM

IS A TECH START-UP THAT IS FOCUSING ON REVOLUTIONIZING AND TRANSFORMING THE TECH INDUSTRY WITH ITS VIRTUAL MARKETPLACE - ACCLAIM

Acclaim will serve as a Virtual Business Environment (VBE) for all small businesses globally. The idea is to take small businesses to the internet and be able to create virtual offices, stalls, and markets which are manageable. This innovation was inspired by the digital transformation of the economy and the...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

CHEFS WAREHOUSE

CHEFS WAREHOUSE -WHIPPING UP A WINNING RECIPE

WHIPPING UP A WINNING RECIPE

As businesses go, restaurants aren’t for the faint of heart. The hospitality industry is one of cutthroat competition. This industry demands discipline, dedication, constant innovation, passion, opportunity, and perseverance from restaurateurs, managers, kitchen staff, and front-of-house staff. Creating fine-dining cuisine is as much an art form as it is the science...

INNOVATE® South Florida

South Florida Manufacturers Association (SFMA)

PROGRESS AND INNOVATION CONTINUES TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF SOUTH FLORIDA MANUFACTURING

PROGRESS AND INNOVATION CONTINUES TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF SOUTH FLORIDA MANUFACTURING South Florida has long been a hub for innovation, but its manufacturing industry has undergone a transformative shift in recent years. Spearheaded by the South Florida Manufacturers Association (SFMA),this shift reflects the region’s growing commitment to modernization, sustainability,...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

BRISTOL HEALTH PARTNERS

BRISTOL HEALTH PARTNERS-Bringing Together The Best In Research And Innovation To Improve Health And Care Across Bristol

Bringing Together The Best In Research And Innovation To Improve Health And Care Across Bristol, North Somerset And South Gloucestershire

The Bristol Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC) mission is to generate significant health gain and improvements in service delivery in the region by integrating, promoting and developing our strengths in health services, research, innovation and education. We are a strategic collaboration between the city region’s universities, major health...

INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2

MOBILE LOAVES & FISHES

MOBILE LOAVES & FISHES-FOOD

FOOD, HOPE, DIGNITY … AND THE MOST TALKED ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD IN AUSTIN, TEXAS

What started as five men in Austin, Texas answering God’s call to “love your neighbor” by serving meals out of the back of a green minivan has turned into one of the country’s most innovative approaches for mitigating homelessness. In 1998, the seed of the idea for Mobile Loaves &...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

SPECIFIC BIOLOGICS

SPECIFIC BIOLOGICS-DEVELOPING A NEXT-GENERATION GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGY TO TREAT SERIOUS GENETIC DISEASES

DEVELOPING A NEXT-GENERATION GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGY TO TREAT SERIOUS GENETIC DISEASES

Gene editing holds the potential to cure a wide range of genetic diseases by altering DNA in the genome inside cells – but today’s gene editors have limitations. To better realize the significant opportunity of this therapeutic approach, and allow for its application to new therapeutic areas, Specific Biologics (“Specific”)...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

3PARK

GROWING ADVENTURES IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

What if playgrounds could grow with the forest instead of replacing it? At 3park, the team designs and builds adventure parks that blend safety, creativity, and sustainability. Born in Estonia, 3park believes play should bring people together and strengthen communities. Their parks are more than climbing frames: they are safe...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

SENSOWELL

TRANSFORMING SLEEP INTO A LIFE-SAVING SCIENCE

Modern medicine is extraordinary – but it often arrives too late. By the time patients enter a hospital, many health conditions have already compromised their quality of life. Sensowell was created to turn this model on its head, leading a shift from reactive treatments to proactive prevention. The company’s mission...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Arup

Arup - An Innovative Approach To Creating A Strategy For A Carbon-neutral And Climate-resilient City By 2030

An Innovative Approach To Creating A Strategy For A Carbon-neutral And Climate-resilient City By 2030

Arup is an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, architects, consultants and technical specialists working across every aspect of today’s built environment. Our office in Bristol city centre was founded more than 40 years ago and today is home to more than 350 staff, working on local, national and international...

INNOVATE® Nashville

S3 RECYCLING

S3 RECYCLING-HASSLE-FREE E-WASTE SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESSES

HASSLE-FREE E-WASTE SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESSES

S3 Recycling Solutions is the right choice for businesses looking for an easy and hassle-free way to responsibly and safely manage excess electronics. Headquartered in Springfield, Tenn., S3 is an award-winning, R2-certified technology recycling firm that provides tailored e-waste solutions to businesses across the nation and in Canada. Since 2007,...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

UFPR

FOUNDED IN 1912, UFPR IS THE OLDEST UNIVERSITY IN BRAZIL.

It was initially known as the University of Paraná, and it has been since then a national reference when it comes to teaching, research, and outreach services. Therefore, the UFPR historic building, located at Praça Santos Andrade, was chosen by Curitiba residents as the very symbol of the city. Initially,...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

HOTMILK

THE MAIN INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM IN THE SMARTEST CITY IN THE WORLD

Hotmilk is the innovation ecosystem of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR), considered the most innovative university in the country. Regarded as the primary innovation ecosystem in Paraná (and positioned among the largest in Brazil), Hotmilk operates on multiple fronts: accelerating over 100 resident startups, opening new business opportunities...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

TALTECH

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION: IT DIDACTICS RESEARCH GROUP AT TALTECH

Our Vision and Laboratory Looking around us, we witness the rapid rise of technology that touches every aspect of our lives—robots, artificial intelligence, social media, and countless other digital tools. But how do these innovations translate into meaningful changes in education? At Tallinn University of Technology’s IT College, the IT...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Amelia Toffee-True Love With Every Bite

Small batch, Handcrafted, Artisan toffee

Our unique recipes combine tradition and creativity with superior ingredients and finely curated flavorings. We promise true love with every bite. We are a small-batch, handcrafted, artisan toffee maker, creating uniquely flavored, all-natural toffee. Our incredibly indulgent dark chocolate almond toffee is made with ingredients such as orange, key lime,...

INNOVATE® Nashville

DECODE HEALTH

DECODE HEALTH-Advancing Precision Medicine to Improve Lives

Advancing Precision Medicine to Improve Lives

Current methods of managing healthcare are unsustainable, with chronic disease treatment alone putting a $4 trillion annual strain on the U.S. economy. Healthcare professionals across the board agree that earlier diagnosis, better preventative care, and improved disease management will significantly reduce those costs while improving the lives of millions of...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

THE INDUS ENTREPRENEUR

ABOUT THE INDUS ENTREPRENEUR (TiE) ORGANIZATIONTiE ranks among the world’s largest ecosystems for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development. With a global reach and a local focus, the heart of TiE’s efforts lies in its five foundational programs, – Mentoring, Networking, Education, Funding, and Incubation. With a focus on giving back...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

EBANX

LEADING PAYMENTS PARTNER FOR GLOBAL COMPANIES IN RISING MARKETS

EBANX is a global technology company that offers payment solutions to connect clients from rising markets and global companies, promoting access to their products and services. Through technology and a proprietary platform, EBANX enables global companies to offer local payment methods from countries in the fastest-growing regions: Latin America, Africa...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

Avricore

Brings pharmacy into the future with HealthTab™

Chronic illness causes 71% of deaths worldwide and is responsible for the majority of the global burden of disease. Yet these conditions are preventable and can be managed proactively with medication and lifestyle modification. Pharmacies are looking at ways to meet this challenge and increase access to care by investing...

INNOVATE® Miami

Penpal Schools

Helping teachers connect their students to learn with penpals around the world and from different backgrounds

PenPal Schools PenPal Schools is the world’s largest project-based learning community, with over a quarter million students in 150 countries. Students collaborate through online projects ranging from human rights and the environment to fake news and robotics, all while practicing literacy, technology, and social-emotional skills. PenPal Schools was recognized by...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

EsportScholar

EsportScholar-Is located at the intersection of esports and education

Is located at the intersection of esports and education, and is home to the future of learning and competition

Our after-school league coalesces in-game coaching with STEAM instruction into a dynamic, engaging program for organizations, schools and school districts. We’re in the business of building vibrant esports communities with the goal of being the highlight of our students’ days. We believe in recognizing abilities that have (for far too...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

CREATING IT FUTURES

CREATING IT FUTURES-Satisfying

Satisfying, Well-Paying Tech Jobs Abound

The acute shortage of technology workers in the United States has driven up wages significantly. The median annual salary of an entry-level employee working on a help desk is $53,470, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median salary for all tech workers is $81,000. The expected growth...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

HUNGRY MARKETPLACE

Hungry for something better

This is a company unlike any other in the Washington DMV – and that’s saying a lot. HUNGRY Marketplace has revolutionized the office food market nationally. Founded by visionary entrepreneurs Jeff Grass and Eman and Shy Pahlevani, this Arlington, Virginia-based company is reshaping the landscape of office food solutions with...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Florida State College - FSCJ

Florida State College - FSCJ – The Community’s College

The Community’s College

Formerly known as Florida Junior College, Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) was founded in 1965 to serve the Northeast Florida region as the first integrated public, postsecondary educational institution in Duval and Nassau counties. The College is comprised of four campuses and three centers, providing necessary accessibility for our...

INNOVATE® Seattle

DEFINED.AI

TRANSFORMING AI TRAINING, ONE DATASET AT A TIME

At Defined.ai, our commitment is to enable the builders of AI with ethically sourced data and deliver conversational AI to digitally low-resourced markets. I had the idea of founding the company when I realized how the Conversational AI market was becoming mainstream, and everyone was building multilingual voice search and...

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

ACCLAIM EXPRESS

ACCLAIM EXPRESS- IS A TECH START-UP THAT IS FOCUSING ON REVOLUTIONIZING AND TRANSFORMING THE TECH INDUSTRY WITH ITS VIRTUAL MARKETPLACE - ACCLAIM

IS A TECH START-UP THAT IS FOCUSING ON REVOLUTIONIZING AND TRANSFORMING THE TECH INDUSTRY WITH ITS VIRTUAL MARKETPLACE - ACCLAIM

Acclaim will serve as a Virtual Business Environment (VBE) for all small businesses globally. The idea is to take small businesses to the internet and be able to create virtual offices, stalls, and markets which are manageable. This innovation was inspired by the digital transformation of the economy and the...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

CHEFS WAREHOUSE

CHEFS WAREHOUSE -WHIPPING UP A WINNING RECIPE

WHIPPING UP A WINNING RECIPE

As businesses go, restaurants aren’t for the faint of heart. The hospitality industry is one of cutthroat competition. This industry demands discipline, dedication, constant innovation, passion, opportunity, and perseverance from restaurateurs, managers, kitchen staff, and front-of-house staff. Creating fine-dining cuisine is as much an art form as it is the science...

INNOVATE® South Florida

South Florida Manufacturers Association (SFMA)

PROGRESS AND INNOVATION CONTINUES TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF SOUTH FLORIDA MANUFACTURING

PROGRESS AND INNOVATION CONTINUES TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF SOUTH FLORIDA MANUFACTURING South Florida has long been a hub for innovation, but its manufacturing industry has undergone a transformative shift in recent years. Spearheaded by the South Florida Manufacturers Association (SFMA),this shift reflects the region’s growing commitment to modernization, sustainability,...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

BRISTOL HEALTH PARTNERS

BRISTOL HEALTH PARTNERS-Bringing Together The Best In Research And Innovation To Improve Health And Care Across Bristol

Bringing Together The Best In Research And Innovation To Improve Health And Care Across Bristol, North Somerset And South Gloucestershire

The Bristol Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC) mission is to generate significant health gain and improvements in service delivery in the region by integrating, promoting and developing our strengths in health services, research, innovation and education. We are a strategic collaboration between the city region’s universities, major health...

INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2

MOBILE LOAVES & FISHES

MOBILE LOAVES & FISHES-FOOD

FOOD, HOPE, DIGNITY … AND THE MOST TALKED ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD IN AUSTIN, TEXAS

What started as five men in Austin, Texas answering God’s call to “love your neighbor” by serving meals out of the back of a green minivan has turned into one of the country’s most innovative approaches for mitigating homelessness. In 1998, the seed of the idea for Mobile Loaves &...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

SPECIFIC BIOLOGICS

SPECIFIC BIOLOGICS-DEVELOPING A NEXT-GENERATION GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGY TO TREAT SERIOUS GENETIC DISEASES

DEVELOPING A NEXT-GENERATION GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGY TO TREAT SERIOUS GENETIC DISEASES

Gene editing holds the potential to cure a wide range of genetic diseases by altering DNA in the genome inside cells – but today’s gene editors have limitations. To better realize the significant opportunity of this therapeutic approach, and allow for its application to new therapeutic areas, Specific Biologics (“Specific”)...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

3PARK

GROWING ADVENTURES IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

What if playgrounds could grow with the forest instead of replacing it? At 3park, the team designs and builds adventure parks that blend safety, creativity, and sustainability. Born in Estonia, 3park believes play should bring people together and strengthen communities. Their parks are more than climbing frames: they are safe...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

SENSOWELL

TRANSFORMING SLEEP INTO A LIFE-SAVING SCIENCE

Modern medicine is extraordinary – but it often arrives too late. By the time patients enter a hospital, many health conditions have already compromised their quality of life. Sensowell was created to turn this model on its head, leading a shift from reactive treatments to proactive prevention. The company’s mission...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Arup

Arup - An Innovative Approach To Creating A Strategy For A Carbon-neutral And Climate-resilient City By 2030

An Innovative Approach To Creating A Strategy For A Carbon-neutral And Climate-resilient City By 2030

Arup is an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, architects, consultants and technical specialists working across every aspect of today’s built environment. Our office in Bristol city centre was founded more than 40 years ago and today is home to more than 350 staff, working on local, national and international...

INNOVATE® Nashville

S3 RECYCLING

S3 RECYCLING-HASSLE-FREE E-WASTE SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESSES

HASSLE-FREE E-WASTE SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESSES

S3 Recycling Solutions is the right choice for businesses looking for an easy and hassle-free way to responsibly and safely manage excess electronics. Headquartered in Springfield, Tenn., S3 is an award-winning, R2-certified technology recycling firm that provides tailored e-waste solutions to businesses across the nation and in Canada. Since 2007,...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

UFPR

FOUNDED IN 1912, UFPR IS THE OLDEST UNIVERSITY IN BRAZIL.

It was initially known as the University of Paraná, and it has been since then a national reference when it comes to teaching, research, and outreach services. Therefore, the UFPR historic building, located at Praça Santos Andrade, was chosen by Curitiba residents as the very symbol of the city. Initially,...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

HOTMILK

THE MAIN INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM IN THE SMARTEST CITY IN THE WORLD

Hotmilk is the innovation ecosystem of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR), considered the most innovative university in the country. Regarded as the primary innovation ecosystem in Paraná (and positioned among the largest in Brazil), Hotmilk operates on multiple fronts: accelerating over 100 resident startups, opening new business opportunities...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

TALTECH

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION: IT DIDACTICS RESEARCH GROUP AT TALTECH

Our Vision and Laboratory Looking around us, we witness the rapid rise of technology that touches every aspect of our lives—robots, artificial intelligence, social media, and countless other digital tools. But how do these innovations translate into meaningful changes in education? At Tallinn University of Technology’s IT College, the IT...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Amelia Toffee-True Love With Every Bite

Small batch, Handcrafted, Artisan toffee

Our unique recipes combine tradition and creativity with superior ingredients and finely curated flavorings. We promise true love with every bite. We are a small-batch, handcrafted, artisan toffee maker, creating uniquely flavored, all-natural toffee. Our incredibly indulgent dark chocolate almond toffee is made with ingredients such as orange, key lime,...

INNOVATE® Nashville

DECODE HEALTH

DECODE HEALTH-Advancing Precision Medicine to Improve Lives

Advancing Precision Medicine to Improve Lives

Current methods of managing healthcare are unsustainable, with chronic disease treatment alone putting a $4 trillion annual strain on the U.S. economy. Healthcare professionals across the board agree that earlier diagnosis, better preventative care, and improved disease management will significantly reduce those costs while improving the lives of millions of...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

THE INDUS ENTREPRENEUR

ABOUT THE INDUS ENTREPRENEUR (TiE) ORGANIZATIONTiE ranks among the world’s largest ecosystems for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development. With a global reach and a local focus, the heart of TiE’s efforts lies in its five foundational programs, – Mentoring, Networking, Education, Funding, and Incubation. With a focus on giving back...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

EBANX

LEADING PAYMENTS PARTNER FOR GLOBAL COMPANIES IN RISING MARKETS

EBANX is a global technology company that offers payment solutions to connect clients from rising markets and global companies, promoting access to their products and services. Through technology and a proprietary platform, EBANX enables global companies to offer local payment methods from countries in the fastest-growing regions: Latin America, Africa...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

Avricore

Brings pharmacy into the future with HealthTab™

Chronic illness causes 71% of deaths worldwide and is responsible for the majority of the global burden of disease. Yet these conditions are preventable and can be managed proactively with medication and lifestyle modification. Pharmacies are looking at ways to meet this challenge and increase access to care by investing...

INNOVATE® Miami

Penpal Schools

Helping teachers connect their students to learn with penpals around the world and from different backgrounds

PenPal Schools PenPal Schools is the world’s largest project-based learning community, with over a quarter million students in 150 countries. Students collaborate through online projects ranging from human rights and the environment to fake news and robotics, all while practicing literacy, technology, and social-emotional skills. PenPal Schools was recognized by...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

EsportScholar

EsportScholar-Is located at the intersection of esports and education

Is located at the intersection of esports and education, and is home to the future of learning and competition

Our after-school league coalesces in-game coaching with STEAM instruction into a dynamic, engaging program for organizations, schools and school districts. We’re in the business of building vibrant esports communities with the goal of being the highlight of our students’ days. We believe in recognizing abilities that have (for far too...

Ecosystems